DOGE Loses Battle to Take Over USIP—and Its $500 Million Headquarters

image via WIRED

May 19, 2025, 5:06 PM

• •Judge Beryl Howell ruled in favor of the former board and staff of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), rebuking the defendants including the US DOGE Service, President Donald Trump, and others.
• •The court declared the removal of USIP board members unlawful, nullifying actions taken since their removal and barring the defendants from accessing USIP facilities and resources.
• •The ruling stemmed from DOGE's attempt to take control of the USIP, which began with an executive order and involved forcible removal of board members and attempts to seize the headquarters.
• •The court's decision found the actions taken by the defendants to be a "gross usurpation of power."

In a legal victory for the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Judge Beryl Howell ruled against the US government and its attempt to seize control of the agency. The court found the removal of USIP board members unlawful, voiding actions taken during the attempted takeover. The ruling effectively blocks the defendants, including the US DOGE Service and former President Donald Trump, from accessing USIP's assets and resources. This decision marks a significant defeat for the government's overreach, with the judge describing their actions as a "gross usurpation of power."

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